We then retraced Pip's journey starting with his meeting with Magwitch on the marshes. All is performed in the dining room. Actors pop out of holes in walls and fade into the corners, sitting on chairs and almost becoming part of the furniture when not in a scene. It is a nicely done but the adult Pip's almost constant presence begins to feel awkward - we get it, he's looking back at his life.

Likewise the powder-white make-up which makes young Pip (Taylor Jay-Davies) look clown-like and I'm assuming is supposed to reference ghosts from Pip's past life. If not that then the point is lost on me.

A decision has been made to make the costumes of some of the characters look like they've come from a Tim Burton film or, as @vampiresoup suggested on Twitter Edward Gorey drawings. It gave certain scenes a pantomime feel which wasn't wholly satisfying and why did they all have to have a cobweb motif - we get it, they are from the past.

Wopsle (James Vaughan) and Mrs Joe (Isabella Joss) were comic villains and not in a good way. If I'm going to be picky Wopsle was played too posh for that character and the contrast between him and Mrs Joe just made their relationship inexplicable.

At times the script grates along pointing to characters and plot points like an invisible hand hovering over the stage while at others it skirts over particular details and if you aren't familiar with the story I'm not sure what you'd understand about what is going on.

It is the staging for me which made this production, there are some wonderful devices (Miss Haversham's demise is particularly impressive) and great use of a huge mirror on the wall offering clues as to the more subtle plots points.

But was it enough? At times Great Expectations felt like you were watching an am-dram production, at others it was just what you'd expect to see on a West End stage. My love of the book is its subtlety and the character arc of Pip and you aren't going to get that condensing it down to two hours for a big West End production. This feels like a show rather than a play and if you accept that then it is enjoyable enough.

Great Expectations runs at the Vaudeville Theatre until June 1. Shows in London kindly provided me with my ticket.

RS/BW 6DS

 Jack Ellis was directed by Sam Mendes in Richard III and Mr W was directed by the same in Skyfall. Don't think I've had a director connection before.